Victoria Derbyshire admitted she felt "powerless" after losing her hair in a September 2017 interview about her cancer battle. The BBC journalist, who is currently competing on I'm A Celebrity in Wales alongside Vernon Kay, Shane Richie and Sir Mo Farah, candidly discussed the toughest parts of her illness.
DISCOVER: The meaning behind Vernon Kay's ring on I'm A Celeb revealed
By the end of her treatment, Victoria was left with a bald head and tufts of hair on the side, but she chose not to cut it off.
"It was grotesque and I had no control over it," Victoria previously told The Times. "I understand that it's supposed to be empowering, but I couldn't do it. I felt better having a bit of hair, even though it was gross."
Victoria Derbyshire has made a full recovery from cancer
She admitted that losing her hair was far worse than her breasts, because "you don't look like you".
Victoria, 48, said: "I did like my breasts, for what it's worth, but in the great scheme of things it's no big deal. I just thought – let's just do it, let's get on with it. I don't care. It's gone."
© Photo: InstagramThe BBC journalist has been open about her health battle
The mother-of-two had reconstructive surgery after her mastectomy. Thankfully after six sessions of chemotherapy and 30 sessions of radiotherapy, Victoria was given the all-clear from doctors, although they warned there is an 11 per cent chance of the cancer recurring.
SEE MORE: Viewers are all pointing out Ant and Dec's I'm A Celeb mistake
The broadcaster was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She documented her health battle in a series of videos, some of which went viral and were some of the most viewed on the BBC's website.
In 2018, Victoria published a book based on her video diary, called Dear Cancer, Love Victoria, sharing her day to day experiences of life following her diagnosis. She also took part in ITV’s The Real Full Monty in 2018 to raise awareness of cancer.
WATCH: The I'm A Celeb line-up explained
Previously speaking about her hair loss in a video clip, Victoria said: "I have to say losing my hair was the worst bit about cancer treatment for me, more so than having a mastectomy.
READ MORE: James Jordan surprises fans with controversial I'm A Celeb views
"Don't judge me for that, it's just the way I felt." Removing her wig, Victoria went on to say: "I'm grateful for this wig because it helped me get on with things, go to work, live my life normally without worrying. But it is time for it to go."
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
